Born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee, she actually is the child of ’90s country star Billy Ray Cyrus. Destiny Hope adjusted her name to Miley after the nickname she was handed as a infant because she was always grinning.

Cyrus was raised on the family farm near Nashville with two siblings and three half-siblings. She was excited about acting from a young age, appearing in her father’s TV series Doc plus Tim Burton’s Big Fish.

In 2004, Cyrus pulled ahead of 1,000 hopefuls to land the starring role of Miley Stewart in the hit Disney show Hannah Montana. The tween series includes a young pop superstar (Montana) who hides her star identity to be an daily teen in real life (Stewart).

To support filming, the full family gone after Los Angeles, California, in 2005; Billy Ray plays her fictional dad-manager on the show. Cyrus released a successful Hannah Montana soundtrack album in 2006.

In 2007, her double album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus launched a Best of Both Worlds tour. The concerts sold out in record time, and the show was extended by 14 dates to help placate disappointed fans. Her successful 3-D concert film collected $31.3 million in its opening weekend in February 2008. Cyrus is a spokesperson for Daisy Rock Guitars and has her own clothing line, and it has been reported that she earned $18.2 million in 2007.

Cyrus improved her legal identify to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008. That same year, she observed herself amid a controversy for posing for revealing photos taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, which appeared in Vanity Fair magazine. The resulting critique and press madness did little injury to her occupation, however. Her album, Breakout (2008), would have been a huge hit, reaching the top of the pop album charts.

At the begining of 2009, Cyrus provided an appearance into her lifetime with the autobiography Miles to Go. The book features previously unseen photos, family stories and “a look at her inner circle of loved ones.” “I am so thrilled to let fans in on how crucial my relationship with my family is to me,” Cyrus said in a statement. “I really hope to motivate mothers and daughters to develop lifetimes of memories together and inspire kids worldwide to live their dreams.”

Enthusiasm for her tv alter ego continues to be powerful as well. In April 2009, Hannah Montana: The Movie scored at the box office, bringing in more than $79 million.

Cyrus has additionally made headlines for her intimate life. In June 2009, she reunited with former companion Nick Jonas from the musical group the Jonas Brothers. Cyrus was also previously connected to model Justin Gaston.